


Finding Wu

by filipiniana



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canon Compliant, Correction: Mako is the kind of guy who hates PDA unless he's the one doing it, First Kiss, I just wanted to write something from Wu's perspective, M/M, Mako has matured, Mako loves PDA and no one can say differently, Republic City, Spirit Wilds, They eat street meat, Wu gets lost, Wu-centric, Wuko, i don't know what to tag, mention of depression, not comic compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28110642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filipiniana/pseuds/filipiniana
Summary: Three years after the war, Wu gets lost in Republic City. Mako helps him find his way, in more than one sense of the word.
Relationships: Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 111





	Finding Wu

**Author's Note:**

> I was supposed to be working on the next chapter of my Zukka fic, but instead I wrote this. Whoops!

It takes Wu almost a full day to admit that he’s lost.

Both literally and figuratively, if he’s being fully honest with himself. Literally in that he’s pretty sure he was stood at the same intersection over two hours ago, which means that he had just completed a wide circle through the city. Figuratively in that he has no idea what he’s doing with his life.

He thought he would’ve remembered Republic City much better than this, even though he hasn’t been back in three years – but it turns out just riding in the back of a Satomobile whenever he wanted to go somewhere further than a block wasn’t good practice for navigating the city’s twisting grid. Tired, worn out, and desperately craving room service, he sits on the bench of a nearby bus stop and starts to wallow. He had just wanted to walk to the water, damn it! The route had looked so clear and easy from the picture windows in his suite at the Four Elements, an almost straight shot south through the shopping district. But once he made it to ground level and the bird’s eye view of his destination was no longer neatly laid out in front of him, it only took three blocks and a couple of lefts to get himself properly turned around.

Of course, he had refused to concede that he hadn’t a clue where he was. But that had been six hours and eight mediocre dumplings bought from a roadside stand ago, and neither the Four Elements nor the water were anywhere in sight.

A bus pulls up in front of Wu and he stands to board it, ready to cut his losses and start a new life wherever it takes him. But as he rummages through his pockets looking pointlessly for loose change – he’s never carried around loose change in his life; he’d overpaid the dumpling woman by a ridiculous amount and Wu is pretty sure he saw her pack up as soon as he made his purchase, more than satisfied with her day’s earnings – a familiar voice intercedes right as Wu begins to spiral further down into a wallowing pit of self pity and defeat.

“Wu? What are you – why are you – _Wu?_ ”

Wu glances up from staring loathingly at his empty, upturned pocket and starts staring instead at the person before him. Backlit by the setting sun, he looks like a divine spirit sent by Tui and La to rescue Wu from his utter demise.

“Mako!” he cries, and flings his arms around his savior. Mako stumbles with the force of him, but then chuckles and hugs him hesitantly back. Wu’s old bodyguard still smells of worn leather and a hint of sweat and the last dredges of a campfire, in a good way, and Wu breathes it all in deep, feeling instantly safe.

“Are you sniffing me?” Mako asks, incredulity and amusement tied together in his voice. It’s a tone Wu is still used to, even after all this time. The fondness that had always accompanied it made it softer, and Wu is comforted to learn that that hasn’t changed, either.

“Yes! I’m so happy to see you!” Wu pulls back from their embrace, mouth wide and beaming, to see a small smile playing on Mako’s lips. He beams harder. A Mako smile! How rare those had been! “Say, you wouldn’t know the way back to the Four Elements, would you? Our old stomping grounds?”

“Er, yeah. It’s just around the corner.” One of Mako’s eyebrows raises up so high it nearly crashes into his hairline, and his tone turns teasing. “Wu, were you _lost?_ ”

“What, no!” Wu protests, responding on instinct. Then, sheepishly, “Well, maybe. Okay, yes.”

Mako throws his head back and laughs, and Wu admires the view. Even from their short interaction, he can tell Mako is different: lighter, happier, freer. A far cry from the surly tough guy with a chip on his shoulder who had protected Wu back when he was the crown prince of the Earth Kingdom. Time had treated him well, and that thought makes Wu want to squirm. Even though Mako had found him, he’s still lost – in the figurative sense of the word.

“C’mon, Wu. I’ll walk you back,” Mako says, voice kind and still amused. He places a gentle hand at the small of Wu’s back and nudges him along, and Wu can feel the familiar warmth of Mako’s touch radiating through the back of his suit jacket. Mako had always run hot.

“You’d do that for me?” Wu gushes, allowing himself to be prodded forward. He clasps his palms together and blinks up at Mako with wide eyes, prompting Mako to roll his own.

“For old times’ sake, I guess. Can’t have my former charge wandering helplessly around the city.”

The walk back to the Four Seasons is short, and it’s easy for Wu to fill the space. There’s so much he wants to know about Mako’s life in the past three years. Was he still close with Korra? (Yeah.) Had he gone back to his detective work? (Yup.) Did he ever treat himself to a spa day, like Wu had urged him to do so many times?

“Not a chance,” Mako snorts, grinning, and Wu fights between a scowl and a smile. He likes this new Mako, who appears to finally be letting himself take joy in living. Who no longer seems to walk around with the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders.

“All I’m saying is, one hour of letting those little sucker-fish at your calluses and it’s like you got a brand new pair of feet!”

“I’m fine with the ones I have, thanks,” Mako retorts. His hand is still on Wu’s back, which he seems to realize when they come to a halt. He draws it hastily away and says unnecessarily, because they’re standing right in front of the hotel’s entrance with the words _Four Elements_ emblazoned big and gold above the doorway, “We’re here.”

“Well, weren’t you a sight for sore eyes, Mako,” Wu croons, smiling warmly up at his unexpected companion. Disappointment curls in his stomach at the thought of Mako turning to go. “Say old pal, would you want to hang out again sometime? I’m here for a… while, and I never did get a chance to see the water, which is where I was trying to go today.”

Mako looks surprised, and for a moment Wu regrets saying anything at all. Mako probably has a lot going on; why would he have time to spend with little old Wu? Wu braces himself for the inevitable decline. Mako will be nice about it, he knows, but that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt.

It turns out Wu is bracing himself for nothing, though. “Er, sure,” Mako replies, and Wu thinks he even looks a little bit pleased. “I’m actually off tomorrow, if you want?”

Yes, Wu wanted! “Works for me,” he says casually – or at least, he hopes he does. “Noon? So we can grab lunch, too?”

Mako nods, the corners of his mouth turning up. “I’ll pick you up here. Can’t have you getting lost again, can we?”

Wu looks properly indignant, but there’s no heart behind it. He’s too excited for tomorrow, already racking his brain for what to wear.

* * *

Wu digs desperately through his luggage, tossing things over his shoulder as he goes. How does he have nothing to wear?!

He’d already tried on ten different suits, but none seemed right for the occasion—too dressy, or too casual, or too Ba-Sing-Se-on-a-cool-summer-evening but not enough Republic-City-on-a-warm-spring-day. Mako is coming in twenty minutes, and Wu is kneeling on the floor in silk boxers, surrounded by piles of clothes.

The ironic thing is, Mako had always hated when Wu did this. He had never understood the subtle but important differences in shade between Wu’s emerald green suit and his hunter green suit, or how a striped kerchief signaled a completely different occasion from a solid one. Wu had given up on lecturing him about the art of fashion after their first year together, content to let his bodyguard stew in annoyance on the couch as he tested tie and shirt combinations to his heart’s desire.

Still, Wu prides himself on looking put together, even though his life has fallen apart. And on the off chance Mako notices what he’s wearing, he wants to make sure it’s something great.

Wu is only ten minutes late in getting downstairs – an impressive feat for him, all things considered.

Mako seems to think so, too. “I thought I’d be waiting for half an hour at least,” he says dryly as he stands from one of the lobby’s armchairs. “That’s growth, Wu.”

Wu beams. “You’re not the only one who’s changed!”

Their walk to the water is leisurely and full of chatter, Wu gesturing excitedly at sights he remembers and Mako pointing out areas that have changed. When Mako guides them to a small kiosk selling kebabs on the edge of the waterfront walkway, Wu blinks in surprise at the realization that they’ve already made it to their destination.

“What kind do you want?” Mako asks, already munching on a skewer.

Wu examines the meat display with wary eyes, remembering his negative dumpling experience from the day before. His stomach grumbles unhelpfully.

Mako rolls his eyes, a smile teasing at his lips. “Wu, get over yourself. It’s good, I promise.”

Wu huffs. He orders two moose lion kebabs and pretends not to hesitate as he takes a bite. The meat is rich and tender and hot, nothing like the flavorless blob of dumplings Wu had eaten out of desperation. He wishes Mako had been there to spare his taste buds.

They wander to the water’s edge and Wu plops down, swinging his legs over the ocean. He looks expectantly up at Mako and sees that he’s regarding him with a peculiar expression.

“What?” Wu asks, swiping the hand not holding his skewers over his mouth. “Did I get food on me?”

Mako shakes his head, a grin finding its way on his face. He lowers himself beside Wu. “No,” he says, bumping a shoulder against Wu’s own. “You really have changed, huh? Eating street meat on the ground, even though your suit might get dirty.”

Wu bumps a shoulder back. “That’s what dry cleaners are for, old pal!”

Mako chuckles and Wu revels in the sound of it, low and warm and mirthful. They polish off their kebabs together, staring out over the harbor. Air Temple Island stands solidly before them, the monument of Avatar Aang watching over it. It’s a perfect spring day in Republic City, the sun’s rays alleviated by a cool breeze. Wu hums in contentment as he chews, absently leaning into Mako’s side.

“Do you visit, still? Air Temple Island?”

“Sometimes,” Mako replies, shifting so that Wu fits against him more comfortably. It’s instinctive, Wu guesses, muscle memory from Mako’s bodyguard days. “Bo likes to drag me along when he watches Opal train. I usually babysit Rohan when I’m there, to give Pema a break.”

Wu pictures Mako chasing after a toddler, the mental image doing funny things to his heart. He places a careful hand over his chest – maybe he just isn’t built for street meat.

“And how are Bolin and Opal? Still going strong, I presume?”

“Yeah.” Wu can hear the grin in his voice. “They just got engaged, actually.”

Wu straightens up and claps in delight. “How exciting! How’d he do it? I need all the details.”

Mako snorts. “I don’t even know how to explain what he did, it was so complicated. But it involved Pabu in a three-piece suit, lava, and a fleet of ships he borrowed from Varrick.” He peers over at Wu. “You would’ve loved it.”

“I bet I would’ve,” Wu sighs wistfully.

“Hey,” Mako says after they’ve polished off their kebabs. He’s watching their dangling feet, and Wu is watching him watching. “You got anywhere to be? I want to show you something.”

Wu bites his lip to keep a bitter laugh from escaping. If only Mako knew. “No, not right now,” he replies, once again aiming for casual and once again hoping he succeeds. “Let’s go.”

Mako jumps to his feet and Wu throws up an expectant arm. After an eye roll, Mako grabs hold and lifts him up. Wu can feel the rough pads of Mako’s fingers clasping his hand, the pulse of heat that always lingers just beneath the surface of Mako’s skin. He suppresses the urge to shiver when Mako lets go.

They set out again through the city, Mako leading the way. Wu is glad he had worn his comfortable loafers, because wherever Mako is taking him isn’t nearby. They pass the pro-bending arena and Little Ba Sing Se; the mover theater and Avatar Korra Park. Wu complains the whole way, of course, adamant that no amount of sucker-fish can eat away the blisters forming on his heels, but Mako ignores him and resolutely marches on.

“Mako old pal, can we at least take a rest?” Wu pants, hobbling a few paces behind him. He hasn’t actually hurt himself, but the limp helps him achieve the dramatic effect he’s going for.

Mako doesn’t bother turning around. “Stop whining. We’re almost there.”

He disappears around a corner, and Wu groans as he stops limping to catch up. When he does, he finds himself staring up at the entrance to the Spirit Wilds.

“I’ve been meaning to get here!” he exclaims, immediately forgetting his aching feet. “Can we check out the spirit world museum? And the Tui and La whirlpool?”

“No,” Mako answers, and Wu’s face falls. Mako grabs hold of his hand, giving it a gentle tug. “I’ve got something even better. Trust me.”

Wu grumbles but complies, allowing himself to be hauled along. They pass the entrance to the whirlpool and a sign advertising the museum, and Wu gazes longingly at them as they do.

Soon they’re in a near-deserted section of the Spirit Wilds, the crowds of tourists – human and spirit alike – thin and dwindling. Mako guides them to a nondescript building and jimmies the lock, making a noise of satisfaction as it clicks free. He pulls Wu inside and lets the door shut behind them, leaving them in darkness.

Wu yelps. Mako lights a flame in the palm of his hand. Wu scowls at him in the dim glow.

“I’m pretty sure it’s bad form for a detective to be breaking and entering into random buildings.”

Mako shrugs. “No one’s gonna catch us. Now come on.”

And with that, Wu is being hauled along again, this time up multiple flights of stairs. He remembers his aching feet once more, the pain of them coming back twofold, and makes sure Mako knows about it.

“I can’t go on,” he moans somewhere between the sixth and seventh floors. “I’m not strong enough.”

Even though he can’t see Mako’s eye roll, he knows it’s there. “I guess someone didn’t follow through on his vow to toughen up.”

“Hey!” Wu objects between pants. “We’re in peacetime!”

“Only three more flights,” Mako promises, gripping Wu’s hand tighter. “It’ll be worth it, I promise.”

Worth it it is, indeed. Wu finds himself on a roof, temporary spots in his eyes as he adjusts back to the sunshine. Mako is tugging him toward the ledge, and Wu carefully perches upon it. When he looks down, he gasps.

Below, he can see all of the Spirit Wilds. The vines wind and tangle and seem to be breathing, pulsing, wriggling with life. Through the gaps between where vine meets vine, families and spirits wander past, pointing this way and that. The whirlpool is visible from up here, a pond so bright blue it’s almost white, offerings to Tui and La littering its edge. Kids peer with fascination at the spinning water, baby spirits chirping excitedly at their sides. Wu watches it all from high above, mesmerized by the view.

“Cool, huh?” Mako asks. They're knocking shoulders again, and Wu tears his eyes away from the scene below to focus on the man beside him. Mako’s wearing a small, satisfied smile.

“Yeah,” Wu breathes. “Best spot in the city, I’d bet.”

Mako leans back on his hands. “I found it on a stakeout,” he says, tilting his head back to look up at the sky. He closes his eyes, and he looks so at peace Wu marvels at it. “I come here sometimes, when I need to clear my head.”

Wu’s stomach does a funny little flip. Private, guarded, closed-book Mako, chose to bring _him_ here? “Thanks for taking me,” he says, and hopes Mako hears how much he means it. “I can see why you come here.”

Mako opens his eyes, but he keeps them trained on the sky. There aren’t any clouds – just the light of the sun and endless blue. “These past three years… They went by so quickly, but also not.” He grins, and Wu can’t stop staring. “It seems like just yesterday I was saving you from those pies.”

Wu huffs, but for once, he holds his tongue. Something in Mako’s voice – how open he sounds – urges him not to interrupt.

“But after Kuvira, it took _so long_ for my arm to heal. Months and months. It was as if everyone around me was starting anew – Korra and Asami got together, Opal fully forgave Bo, they all helped rebuild the city – but I could barely firebend, and Beifong wouldn’t let me back on the force while I was still injured. It felt like my life was over.”

Wu places a tentative hand over Mako’s. He doesn’t pull away, so Wu squeezes tight.

“Korra helped me. A lot. She told me about working with Katara, after Zaheer. How hard it was, and how… how weak she felt, how depressed she was. It made a lot of what I was dealing with make sense.

“I still feel useless sometimes. When I can’t solve a case, or when Korra’s Avatar business gets her tangled up in some international fiasco and I can’t help her. But I just try and remind myself that that’s okay.” He shoots a wry smile over at Wu, and Wu’s breath catches. “Turns out one person can’t fix everything. Who would’ve thought.”

A silence settles between them, the city sounding far away. They were sitting atop the tallest building in the Spirit Wilds, and the vines didn’t reach them there. Even though Mako was the one who had just poured his heart out – Mako! To _him!_ – Wu finds himself feeling raw and exposed. He takes a breath and decides to lean into it, instead of away.

“I came to Republic City because I didn’t know where else to go,” he starts, voice hesitant and low. “I don’t know who I am, or what I’m doing. I think I’m… lost.”

Mako flips his hand over, grasps Wu’s fingers in his own. Tangles them together, like the vines below. “What happened to the White Tails? You guys were getting pretty big. Tahno’s stupid face was everywhere.”

This time, Wu doesn’t hold back his bitter laugh. “It was. And I thought I was the most self-centered person I knew.” He sighs. “It was great, for a while. I met Tahno at Varrick and Zhu Li’s wedding, do you remember that? Varrick had hired his band to play the reception. I got a little tipsy –” Mako snorted, and Wu pretended not to hear. “– and took the mic, and _naturally_ they wanted to make me their lead singer on the spot.

“But I got so busy with the whole transitioning-the-Earth-Kingdom-to-a-democracy thing I didn’t actually join for another year, once the independent Earth states were stable enough. And spirits, Mako, was it incredible. The lights! The crowds! The thunderous applause! Everyone wanted to see the former Earth King and his jazzin’ band perform. We did a tour of all four nations, and I saw more of the world than I’d ever seen in my life.

“Then, well…” Wu bites his lip. He’s quiet for a moment, watching as a little boy dips a tentative finger into the swirling pool. Wu can picture the wonder on his face as the water begins to glow whiter around him, as a curious spirit fish pops above the surface to nuzzle against the boy’s hand. Wu smiles softly as the boy strokes the fish’s head, its tail flapping in delight. “Then I fell in love with Tahno, and everything sort of… fell apart.”

Wu shut his eyes, willing himself to continue. He’d had the courage to start; he couldn’t let it go to waste. “That was great, too, at first. I thought he loved me back. But then I caught him with a fan, and then another, and then another. I kept forgiving him, because I was really gone for him, you know? Each time, he told me he would stop. And I didn’t believe him, not really, but I kept convincing myself I did.

“He’s the one who ended it. Remember when you used to call me naïve, about taking over the throne? Boy, did I prove you right. I didn’t see it coming at all.” Wu shakes his head, still incredulous at himself. “It was too hard, after that. We fought through every rehearsal. Our drummer quit, then our bass player, then it was just Tahno and me. And then he left, too, and I was alone.

“I didn’t know what to do with myself. I still don’t. I went back to Ba Sing Se, but what’s there for me when I’m not King? I tried to travel, but it wasn’t the same as when we were on tour. I felt so, so lost.” He laughs, and it sounds hollow. He doesn’t know how to make it not. “There was the crown, then there was the band, then there was Tahno, and now there’s nothing. Who am I when I have nothing?”

When Wu looks up at Mako, he finds Mako looking at him. There’s something in his expression, behind the pitying eyes. It looks a little bit like understanding.

“You’re Wu,” Mako says simply, and they’re bumping shoulders once more. “You’re the most annoying guy I’ve ever met –” Wu squawks “– and the most creative, and compassionate, and inspiring. You're a great singer. You love octopus fritters and being pampered, and you’re the only guy crazy enough and brilliant enough to commandeer a pair of badgermoles to save innocent civilians. You broke centuries of tradition because it wasn’t working for your people.” Mako pauses for a moment, grasping for another thought. “Oh, and you’re allergic to bees.”

“How do you –”

“I was your bodyguard for three years.” Mako shrugs. “And you’re not easy to forget.”

The little boy has a friend, now. She’s squatting down beside him, a whole host of spirit fish lapping at their feet. Her hands fly over the fish’s heads, scrambling to pet them all, and the little boy looks at her with something akin to awe.

“The point is,” Mako says, voice quiet and sure, “You’re still someone, Wu. Even without a crown, or a band, or a guy. Besides,” he continues, looking slyly over, “I could’ve told you Tahno’s a jerk. He gave pro-benders a bad rap.”

Wu smiles even as he rolls his eyes. He feels warm all over, though Mako’s only holding his hand. “What do you know, anyway,” he retorts teasingly. “You’re probably fending off the ladies.”

Mako snorts. “Yeah, right. I’ve never been good with women.” He ducks his head, red rising in his cheeks. “Or men, either,” he adds, pointedly staring down.

Wu doesn’t know what to say to that – it catches him by surprise, but the good kind, like stumbling across the perfect melody for a song – so he just leans into Mako’s side. They stay like that for a while, staring out over the rooftops of Republic City, peering down at the vines below. Wu feels, for the first time since the White Tails were going strong, like he knows where he wants to be.

“Maybe I’ll stay here,” Wu says, and the words sound right to him. “Anyone can be anyone in Republic City, right?”

Mako has a secret smile on his face, and though Wu can’t read it he doesn’t mind. He’d seen more of Mako today than he had in their three years working together. He’s fine with waiting to see a little more.

He’s hopeful Mako will let him – two pals in the big city, having the time of their lives. Wu doesn’t know exactly what that would look like, but for the first time the uncertainty doesn’t scare him. Anything is possible in Republic City, especially if Mako’s willing to be his guide.

_You’re still someone, Wu._

He tries not to pay much mind to the pleasant fluttering in his stomach as he thinks about following Mako – well, anywhere.

The little boy and girl are standing now, their arms moving in fervent circles, chattering away. It’s easy to guess what they’re talking about, the spirit fish still peeking at them above the water’s surface. The boy looks up at the sky and Wu sees that he’s beaming, displaying all his teeth to the sun.

Then he points up, and starts jumping up and down. It isn’t until the little girl starts doing the same that he realizes they’re pointing up at the roof, at the two of them.

“I think we’ve been found out,” Wu remarks, gesturing to the kids. Mako peers down until he spots them, too – just in time for a police officer to pop his head into the gap between the vines, staring up at where the boy and girl are still pointing.

“Oh, fuck,” Mako says, scrambling up and pulling Wu unceremoniously along with him, as the police officer shakes his fist. “We gotta go.”

They’re laughing, breathlessly, as they race down the stairs, Mako’s hand clutching Wu’s just as he’d done on the way up. The officer is waiting for them outside the entrance but Mako dodges him effortlessly, pulling Wu after him.

“Mako?” The officer’s voice is incredulous as he catches a glimpse of the fleeing pair. “What the –”

“Sorry, Chey!” Mako calls as he hurtles around a corner, Wu gasping to keep up. “See you tomorrow!”

They don’t stop until they’re out of the Spirit Wilds again, ducking into an alleyway and leaning down to take heaving breaths. “Chey’s definitely gonna give me an earful about this,” Mako grumbles, but there’s no irritation behind it. He’s grinning.

Wu is, too. What a thrill! This entire day was the most fun he’s had in months – in a year, actually, if he was being honest with himself. Even before Tahno dumped him and the band broke up, things hadn’t been good for a while.

He tells Mako this and Mako’s got that secret smile again, and Wu still doesn’t know what it means. He smiles back, anyway.

“Wu, I –” Mako starts then stops then takes a step nearer, and Wu notices then just how little space there is between them. The alleyway is narrow but they’re standing in the center of it, pressed so close Wu could kick back and barely reach the wall behind him. It’s dark and grimy and there’s an odd smell around them, so when Mako starts kissing him his first thought is he can’t believe they’re making out next to a pile of trash.

His second thought is, oh spirits Mako’s kissing him! It catches him off guard but also it doesn’t, and he only pauses for a second before he starts kissing back. Mako’s half a head taller than him and it takes some readjusting to keep their noses from smashing uncomfortably together, but then Wu tilts his head _just so_ and everything falls into place.

His third thought is, Tahno had never kissed him like this. He bats that one away, annoyed that his sleazy ex-boyfriend was interrupting such a perfect moment – alley trash and all – and vows never to think it again.

The secret smile is still there when they finally pull apart, but Wu thinks he’s got it figured out, now.

“You should stay,” Mako says, and Wu nearly swoons at the clear simplicity of it. Wu had always envied Mako’s quiet sureness. It had steadied him many a time, when he had been anxious about taking over the throne, though he doubted Mako knew it then.

“Oh Mako, I’m way ahead of you,” Wu replies, twirling a hand in the air. “I’ve already decided I’m getting an apartment by the water.”

* * *

Wu is disappointed when they arrive back at the Four Elements. He and Mako had trekked back through the city, hands bumping until Wu called on his courage and grabbed Mako’s in his own. Mako had done his secret smile again, only Wu was in on it, too.

Wu is reluctant to let Mako go, so they stand out front with their fingers intertwined, Wu twiddling with Mako’s thumbs.

“Thank you for finding me, Mako.” He laughs quietly, staring down at their hands. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably still be wandering around right now.”

Mako gives Wu’s fingers a squeeze, prompting Wu to look up. The sun is setting and glowing around Mako’s frame just like yesterday, and it makes it harder for Wu to breathe. He expects to be jolted awake, lost for the umpteenth time in some Earth Nation town, alone and out of sorts – but he blinks and Mako’s still there, his hand warm and solid in Wu’s own.

“I’m glad I did, too,” Mako replies. The next thing he says is so simple and clear again, Wu knows he has to believe it. “But you would’ve found your way eventually, Wu. I’m sure of it.”

**Author's Note:**

> My other two Wuko fics are from Mako's perspective, so I wanted to give Wu's a try. I also just wanted to write something that incorporated the Spirit Wilds, for some reason. Anyway, thanks for reading! Gotta get back to procrastinating on my work and other fic, now. 🙃


End file.
